The Irish standard., 1887-02-19

words, Home Rule.' Home Rule is
what we ask for the Irish Nation, and
home rule means just the same right of
nationa], domestic local self government
which is the acknowledged birthright
of every state in this American Union;
more than that, of every province in
the great neighboring Dominion OF
Canada. With that, if it be given, we
shall be content. With anything less
than that we never can be and we
never could be contented. We ask for
Ireland, the right to manage her own
national, domestic, and local affairs
within the circuit of the seas that wash
her shores, and manage these affairs
for herself by the best judgment Of
her own people, without any interfer-
ence or control from the centralized
English Parliament sitting at West
minister in London.
.Out of all the many civilized COM
munities or commonwealth associated
under the English Crown, Ireland was
the one only civilized which is at once
civilized and divided from England by
any expanse of sea, whether broad or
long, which is not allowed the priceless
benefit OF home rule. We say to Eng
land: You haye twenty.three home
rule communities already; we want to
know why is Ireland alone to be de-
MED that privilege. Canada, the Aus
tralasian colonies, the South African
colonies, the Channel islands, the Isle
of Man, are perfectly content with
their partnership with England be-
cause they are allowed to manage their
own national, domestic, and local af-
fairs. What is there in Ireland, in her
geographical position, in her history,
in her traditions, in the capacity of her
people which shows that she alone, of
all the civilized communities under the
Englise crown shall be denied the priv
ileges of managing her own domestic
affairs for herself?' We ask no right to
interfere with England, or Scotland, or
Wales; ask no right of undue influence
as regards the common affairs Of the
whole imperial system. All we ask IS
that Ireland shall be the twenty fourth
of these commemorative under the
English crown which are allowed to
govern and manage their own affairs
for themselves.
''But we have much stronger cause
even than that Fe all Of these differ
ent commonwealth and communities
home rule came as novelty. 1t was
given to them either as concession
by the wisdom and judgment of Eng
lish statesmen, as in the case of the
Australasian colonies, or extorted from
them by armed rebellion, as in the case
of the colonies in Canada. But in our
case we'can appeal to history and ira
dition in favor of home rule. We can
point to the fact that up to the time
hich is in a historical sense only the
day before yesterday we had an Irish
National Parliament to manage our
national affairs on Irish soil, and, dur
ing it's later years, independent aDso-
lutely of the control of the English Par.
lament at Westminster.
''Before the passing of the Act Of
Union the Irish people never were con-
suited as to the measure; their opin-
ion was never asked; their voice was
never taken; and the chamber that
passed that Act of Union was not an
Irish National Parliament, but cham
ber packed for the purpose by the mill
tary officers and the creatures and min
ions and the servants of Lord Cornwall
lis. Since the passage of the act of
Union the Irish people have never &C
knowledged it, have never accepted it,
never acquiesed in it, never ratified it
even by the negative consent Of silence.
The whole of Irish history from that
time down to this moment has been a
protest in one form or other against the
act of Union, and a demand for the re-
storation of the Irish National Parlia-
ment. Every public man in Ireland
since that time has been popular or un-
popular exactly in proportion to the
strength and the earnestness Of his pro-
test against the act of union and his de-
mand for the restoration Of the Irish
National Parliament. We have pro-
tested in every form open to
man to make a protest. We have
had insurrectlon after insurrec-
tion, constitutional movement after
constitutional movement. We haYe
never had period Of national acquies-
cence.
'.Of late years the Irish people began
to lose faith in any sort of constitu-
tional movement carried on in the en-
eryating atmosphere of the English
House Of Commons. One reason for
IL m ~& oh